Councilman at Large David Cohen was a Philadelphia institution, seemingly one of the good kinds. I never had a chance to meet the man, but I've met and spoken with his son, Rep. Mark Cohen and several others who knew him. His at Large status allowed him to be involved in all parts of Philadelphia. From what I've heard and read, he was like a steward of the City of Philadelphia. Two of his largest city-wide achievements was the requirement of a sixty-day notice for mass layoffs [later serving as a model for a similar law signed by President Reagan] and pushing for recycling in Philadelphia. Councilman Cohen died in October last year and his at Large seat has remained vacant since.
There has been much discussion of pushing for his wife and partner in community organization Florence to fill the seat for the remainder of the term until 2007. To date, President of City Council, Anna Verna, has refused to call a special election. Neighborhood Networks is leading the charge to push for a special election to be called for the same day as the May 16th primary election date. That would require President Verna to call for the special election by April 16th, thirty days before the special election date.
Neighborhood Networks has organized a rally in support of Florence Cohen to be held tomorrow, Thursday March 23rd at Noon at City Hall's Dilworth Plaza [the west side of City Hall].
Councilwoman at Large Florence Cohen would continue to voice a Progressive view across the city in the same manner her husband had for so many decades. This city needs to have a Progressive voice on the council.
We don't need bigger government or smaller government; we need better government. -David Cohen
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